Tuesday, April 18, 2017

CD 1 Lauro Bustamante

Candidates for elected city offices were all asked the same questions by the Bexar County Medical Society and have submitted answers to those questions as shown below. 
This information is provided as a service from the Bexar County Medical Society, but is not an endorsement.
BCMS does not make endorsements of any candidates for office nor of elected officials. 

Lauro A. Bustamante
City Council District 1

2017 Mayoral/City Council Candidates
Health Care Questions
  
1.   Despite affecting everyone in this community, "community health and wellness" has not been a big priority at City Hall. "Community health and wellness" had one third of the ranking that "streets" received in community input via SpeakUPSanAntonio. Yet it impacts our well being, workforce, economic development and the prosperity of San Antonio.
What health-related areas do you think deserve increased attention, priority, and local resources, and, if elected, how would you elevate the discussion of these health issues at City Hall and lead effective action to improve health and healthcare in our community?

My platform is the investment in the smart city concept. 

Below is an piece from an internet search of this topic.
The Innovative Technology Behind A Smart City
The fuel that makes a smart city run is data – generated by individuals as well as physical infrastructures (for example highway toll collection). Making data useful requires a backbone of systems that integrate computation, networking and physical processes, and includes sensor networks, monitoring/collecting equipment, data analytics -- and humans. Many stakeholders – citizens, city authorities, government management, infrastructure and service delivery, local enterprises, not to mention, technology and application providers -- must collaborate to make the smart city successful.
I believe the smart city concept is the way to go for San Antonio. 


Everyone should be able to receive health care. The city should make health care attractive to the community. The city can bring community organization together to invest in community health programs. Education is key. Teaching Children preventive health care. Teaching the elderly healthy living. Providing mobile services to go to the people and communities to teach, treat, and prevent illnesses. All city projects should provide for a healthy environment to provide clean air, clean water, and a drug free city.

2.  Bexar County is the primary source of funding for indigent health care in our area through the Bexar County Hospital District and University Health System. How would you, if elected, promote cooperative efforts to increase services and access to care for the citizens of San Antonio?

We need to provide the basics for the indigent. A safe place to live. Clean and sanitary places to live, Food and cloth and medical care. Under a smart city concept the City can identify the indigent and assist in helping them become productive citizens through, education and job training.

3.  The disparity of health care between our poorest and wealthiest zip codes/districts is quite striking (Bexar County Health Collaborative 2016 report). How would you, if elected, reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes for our lower income communities/citizens?

In a smart city concept the internet and social media can be an equalizer the disparities between our poorest and wealthiest districts. From the smart city concept we can learn to mix public housing, job training, and incentives to businesses to reduce the disparity of health care between our poorest and wealthiest districts. We need to look at how other city have solved these disparities with open source internet communications. This the smart city concept.

4.  San Antonio has a high incidence of obesity and diabetes mellitus and has been ranked as high as second in the nation for obesity in recent years. Past city efforts attempting to improve these rates, such as trying to reduce the prevalence of sugary drinks in our community, have been met with controversy. What ideas do you have to reduce the incidence of these chronic health issues?

The city can control venders in city properties and city contracts to reduce harmful foods and drinks in the cities diet. City sponsored education in our public schools on the prevention of obesity and diabetes. A Health public is good for everyone.

5.  According to the CDC, child abuse and neglect are serious problems that can have lasting harmful effects on its victims. The goal in preventing child abuse and neglect is clear — to stop this violence from happening in the first place. What local policies, resources and efforts will you support to promote safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments for all children and families?

Education, Education, Education is the key. In a smart City concept people first are empowered to police against child abuse reporting abuse to the authorities. Education, enforcement, and training of the children and parents to stop abuse. The City can partner with churches, business, county, state, and non-profits to stop abuse. Under a smart city concept all resources are pooling to a common goal to stop child abuse.
The closer we get to creating smart cities, the more we discover that the possibilities are endless, and will have a direct bearing on individual health and well being – in ways we can only imagine today.